Luke Thomas says the combined martial arts (MMA) media’s lack of ability to self-reflect is partly accountable for the contentious relationship between shops and their readersship.

The COVID-19 pandemic drew numerous strains within the sand between any mixture of followers, media and promoters. The net pressure reminded this author of a press release Todd Duffee made at UFC Vancouver media week in Sept. 2019: Duffee accused media of being anti-fighter. MMA Mania carried out an internet ballot asking followers who’s most accountable for tearing down fighters: followers, media or promoters.

“That’s a sophisticated one,” Thomas mentioned on the SBN MMA season premiere of ‘The Insiders’ (video above). “Partly, yeah, I do assume it’s justified. MMA media is allergic to self-examination. They will’t stand the concept that they’ve completed something unsuitable. That, to me, is a dramatic mistake.

“It’s true that there are actually highly effective forces maybe unfairly steering public opinion in a means that doesn’t replicate the true job that MMA media does?” he continued. “I’m actually keen to contemplate that. I’m equally keen to contemplate that MMA media has dug its personal grave…. Right here is how you already know this: Each time I convey up a criticism of a fighter, some fighter would possibly say one thing, perhaps not. Some followers would possibly say one thing. Each time I convey up a criticism of the MMA media, nonetheless anodyne, they bounce at me instantly. They can’t settle for the concept that they’ve completed something unsuitable. Or they’ll pay lip service to the marginal stuff.”

Thomas reaffirmed that media doesn’t solely shoulder the blame: “Once more, it’s true there may be highly effective forces swaying opinion. It is usually true that there are followers of the game who don’t actually perceive the media’s position.”

“That is the one criticism I’ll push again on fighters a bit bit,” Thomas mentioned in protection of his colleagues. “Todd [Duffee] had two criticisms: one was that [media] doesn’t write sufficient about substance abuse points, he was proper about that. Secondly, he was like, ‘you tear down fighters on a regular basis.’ I had him on my present that week and I fully disagreed with him. Todd, if you happen to assume the MMA media is dangerous, you must see actually some other media. It’s far worse. Right here is the purpose. MMA media, nearly to some other one, are boot-lickers to the nth diploma. That’s not true in totality, it’s not true in each case with each individual. In truth, it’s not practically as true as folks make it out to be, however relative to what you see in different sports activities it’s horrible.”

“They’ve laid down a job of being completely obsequious,” Thomas expressed. “They hardly do any adversarial media. They go to those press conferences the place they’re actually props and so they surprise what folks consider them as props. Consider them as folks whose job is to facilitate my enjoyment as a fan. Why would a fan assume that? ‘Trigger you informed them that! Every part you do offers that impression. So, after all, by the point that you must communicate up and the time that you must push again, it is a completely international factor that they’ve by no means skilled earlier than. So, sure, it’s not one or the opposite. It’s a sequence of inauspicious challenges. However are the media complicit in a part of their very own drawback? 1000%”

Thomas is one-half of the internet hosting crew at Showtime Digital’s Morning Kombat, anchors The Luke Thomas Present on SiriusXM, and posts frequently to his personal YouTube channel.